French fashion house Hermes has responded to British singer Jane Birkin's calls for it to remove her name from the crocodile version of its iconic Birkin bag, following an animal rights group's disclosure of cruel practices involved in making it.

"An investigation is under way at the Texas farm which was implicated in the video," Hermes said. "Any breach of rules will be rectified and sanctioned."

But it denied it owned or bought crocodile skins from the farms in Texas that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) released a report on.

Hermes said it conforms to slaughter standards established with veterinary experts and various organizations, and conventions for animal protection.

Earlier, the singer, 68, released a statement about the $3,600 crocodile-skin bag.

"Having been alerted to the cruel practices endured by crocodiles during their slaughter for the production of Hermes bags carrying my name, I have asked the Hermes Group to rename the Birkin until better practices responding to international norms can be implemented for the production of this bag."

PETA welcomed the request.

"PETA, on behalf of all kind souls in the world, thanks Ms Birkin for ending her association with Hermes, which makes grotesque handbags that were revealed in a PETA expose to be constructed from the skins of factory-farmed and cruelly slaughtered crocodiles," PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk said.